Indians in Mauritius: A Story of Sugar, Sea and Sangam
Of all the places the Indian diaspora went after 1834, nowhere did Indians become the demographic, cultural and political majority like they did in Mauritius. An island of 2,040 square kilometres in the middle of the Indian Ocean, 800 kilometres east of Madagascar, Mauritius is today 67 percent Indian in origin. Yet it feels entirely Mauritian. That paradox, Indian roots, Creole branches and Mauritian fruit, is the story of 200 years.
Geography of Mauritius
Mauritius is a volcanic island in the southwest Indian Ocean. Total land area is 2,040 square kilometres. It is roughly oval, 65 kilometres long and 45 kilometres wide.
The island is ringed by a coral reef and a lagoon. Inside, there is a central plateau about 300 to 600 metres high. There are three mountain ranges, the Moka Range, the Grand Port Range and the Black River Range. The highest point is Piton de la Petite Riviere Noire at 828 metres. The coasts are different. The west and north have white sand beaches and calm lagoons such as Flic en Flac and Grand Baie. The south and east face the open ocean, rough and dramatic, with cliffs at Le Morne and Gris Gris.
The climate is tropical, moderated by trade winds. There are two seasons. The hot wet summer runs from November to April and cyclones are possible from January to March. The cool dry winter runs from May to October. The average temperature is 24 degrees Celsius. Rainfall varies from 900 millimetres on the coast to 4000 millimetres on the central plateau.
Mauritius also includes Rodrigues Island, 560 kilometres east, and Agalega and St Brandon. The total Exclusive Economic Zone is 2.3 million square kilometres.
This geography mattered. The flat coastal plains became sugar cane fields. The central plateau was used for tea and forests. The reef provided fish. The isolation made it a suitable place to relocate indentured labour and build a plantation economy.
Mauritius has no indigenous people. It was discovered, not settled, until the 1600s.
The Dutch arrived in 1598 and named the island after Prince Maurice of Nassau. They tried sugar and timber and abandoned the island in 1710. They left behind deer and the extinct dodo.
The French took control in 1710 and named it Ile de France. Governor Mahe de Labourdonnais built Port Louis as a naval base. The French brought slaves from Africa and Madagascar for sugar. French language, French law and French Catholicism took root. This is why Mauritian Creole is based on French.
The British captured the island in 1810 during the Napoleonic Wars. The Treaty of Paris in 1814 confirmed British rule. Britain abolished slavery in 1834. When former slaves left the plantations, the planters needed labour. That is when India became the source.
Arrival of Indians
Slavery ended in Mauritius on 1 February 1835. By 1839 the planters were bankrupt without workers.
On 2 November 1834 the ship Atlas arrived with 36 Indian labourers from Calcutta. This is regarded as the start. Mass migration began after 1842.Between 1834 and 1924, 453,063 Indians arrived in Mauritius under the indenture system. About 70 percent returned to India. Approximately 338,000 stayed. They became the base of today’s Indo Mauritian population.
They came as indentured labourers on five year contracts. The pay was five rupees a month plus rations and housing. The work was nine hours a day for six days a week cutting cane. Running away was punished by jail.
The first depot was Aapravasi Ghat in Port Louis. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. More than 500,000 people passed through those stone barracks.
Routes of Travel
Madras was used for Tamil and Telugu speakers. The route crossed the Indian Ocean and took 30 to 45 days.
Early ships were sailing vessels and later steamers. Conditions were harsh. Between five and ten percent died on the voyage from cholera, dysentery and other causes. Recruiters in Bihar and Tamil Nadu promised good wages in Mauritius.
After 1910, ships also came from Bombay and Karachi with Gujarati and Muslim merchants.
From Which Places Did Indians Arrive ?
Mauritius received Indians from almost every major linguistic region.
The Bhojpuri belt provided 68 percent of migrants. This included eastern Uttar Pradesh districts such as Ghazipur, Ballia, Azamgarh, Basti and Gorakhpur, and western Bihar districts such as Buxar, Arrah, Patna and Gaya. This is why Bhojpuri became the main Indian language spoken. Most Hindus in Mauritius trace ancestry to this region.
Tamil Nadu provided 13 percent. Districts included Tirunelveli, Madurai, Thanjavur and Ramanathapuram. They brought Murugan worship, Thaipusam and the Tamil language.
Therefore Mauritius is a micro India but Bhojpuri dominant.
Settlement
For the first 20 years Indians lived in coolie lines on the estates. These were long barracks with up to ten people in one room.
After 1850 the situation changed. The government offered crown land to Indians who completed indenture instead of paying for return passage. This was known as land grants.
Indians moved inland and became small planters. Villages developed in Flacq, Rose Belle, Quartier Militaire, Goodlands and Triolet. They built wattle and daub houses and later brick houses.
They planted not only cane but also vegetables, rice and later tea. By 1900 Indians owned 60 percent of small agricultural plots.In urban areas, Port Louis had a large Indian bazaar area in Plaine Verte. This became the Muslim and Gujarati merchant quarter.
By independence in 1968, Indians were no longer indentured labourers. They were teachers, lawyers, civil servants and ministers.
Population Statistics of Mauritius
According to the 2022 Census and 2024 estimates, the total population is 1.26 million. The ethnic breakdown is as follows. Indo Mauritians are 67.3 percent, approximately 847,000 people. Within this, Hindus are 48.5 percent of the total population, approximately 611,000. Muslims are 17.3 percent of the total population, approximately 218,000.
Creoles are 27.2 percent, approximately 343,000 people. They are of African and mixed descent.Sino Mauritians are 3.0 percent, approximately 38,000 people. They are descendants of Chinese merchants. Franco Mauritians are 2.0 percent, approximately 25,000 people. They are descendants of French planters.
The religious breakdown is as follows. Hinduism is 48.5 percent. Christianity is 26.3 percent, mainly Catholic. Islam is 17.3 percent. Buddhism and other religions make up the remaining 8 percent.
Cultural Continuity
How did India survive 8000 miles and six generations?
Language was one factor. Bhojpuri did not die. It became Mauritian Bhojpuri, mixed with Creole and French. Hindi was reintroduced through Bollywood and schools. Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Urdu are taught in schools for two hours each week.
Music continued. Bhojpuri folk geet became geet gawai. This was followed by bhajans, qawwali and Bollywood music. Today there is sega and chutney fusion.
Dress is also significant. Sari and kurta are worn for festivals. Daily wear is Creole and Western.
Family structures changed but respect for elders, arranged marriage and naming traditions remained.
The key reason was isolation. With few other groups to mix with apart from Creoles and French, Indians maintained their culture.
Religious Practices
Mauritius is one of the most religious countries in Africa. Hinduism accounts for 48.5 percent. The main traditions are Sanatan Dharma and Arya Samaj. The worship pattern includes morning puja at home and temple visits on Sunday. The main deities are Shiva, Durga, Hanuman, Krishna and Murugan. A unique Mauritian practice is the Maha Shivaratri pilgrimage to Ganga Talao. Half a million people walk up to 70 kilometres carrying Kanwars. Havan, Yagna and kirtan take place weekly. Islam accounts for 17.3 percent. The majority are Sunni Hanafi from Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Friday Jummah, Eid and Muharram are observed. There is a strong Sufi influence. Urdu and Arabic are taught in madrassas. Christianity accounts for 26.3 percent, mainly Catholic due to French influence. Christmas and Easter are national holidays.
Interfaith relations are normal. It is common to have Hindu, Muslim and Christian neighbours. Divali, Eid, Cavadee and Chinese New Year are all public holidays.
Economy
Indians transformed Mauritius from a sugar colony to a middle income country. In the first phase from 1835 to 1968, sugar was dominant. Indentured Indians saved the sugar industry. By 1900, 90 percent of field labour was Indian. Sugar made up 90 percent of exports.
In the second phase from 1970 to 2000, diversification took place. Indo Mauritians led the move into textiles, the Export Processing Zone and tourism. Family businesses in Plaine Verte and Rose Hill became export firms.
In the third phase from 2000 to now, services have grown. These include finance, IT and real estate. Mauritius is now Africa’s financial hub. Many chief executives and ministers are of Indian origin.
India is Mauritius’s largest trading partner and source of foreign direct investment. The Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement made Mauritius a route for Indian investment into Africa. Exports to India include sugar, tuna and textiles. Imports from India include pharmaceuticals, vehicles and rice.
Indians are present in every sector, from small shopkeepers and cane planters to doctors, lawyers and bankers.
Temples
There are more than 400 Hindu temples in Mauritius. That is approximately one temple for every 2000 Hindus.
Major temples include Ganga Talao or Grand Bassin, a sacred crater lake with a Shiva temple and the site of Maha Shivaratri. Water was brought from the Ganga in 1897. Kaylasson Temple in Port Louis, built in 1854, is the oldest Tamil temple with Dravidian architecture. The Sokha Hanuman Murti in Plaine des Roches is 33 metres tall and the second tallest Hanuman statue outside India. Triolet is known as the village of 108 temples because almost every street has one. Tamil temples include Nayanar Kovil and Murugan temples where Thaipusam is observed.
Temple architecture is mixed. It includes North Indian nagara style, South Indian dravida style and Mauritian concrete. Pandits come from India. Festivals attract millions of people.
Mosques
There are more than 100 mosques in Mauritius.
Major mosques include the Jummah Mosque in Port Louis, built in 1853 with Indo Islamic architecture and serving as the centre of Muslim life. The Al Aqsa Mosque in Plaine Verte is the largest. The Camp des Lascars Mosque serves the Kutchi Memon community.
Most Muslims are Sunni. Madrasas teach Urdu, Arabic and the Quran. Eid is a national holiday. Tazia processions during Muharram are public events.
Festivals
Mauritius has 15 public holidays, most of them linked to Indian traditions.
Hindu festivals include Maha Shivaratri in February or March with 500,000 pilgrims at Ganga Talao. Divali in October or November sees the entire island lit up and the President lighting a lamp. Thaipusam or Cavadee in January or February involves Tamil piercing rituals. Other festivals include Ugadi, Holi and Ganesh Chaturthi.
Muslim festivals include Eid ul Fitr, Eid ul Adha, Eid Milad un Nabi and Muharram with Tazia processions.
Other festivals include Chinese Spring Festival, Christmas and National Day.
Festivals are not communal. Everyone participates. A Creole will eat sweets at Divali. A Hindu will attend Eid feasts.
There is a functional Rama Krishna Mission branch at Port Louis since 1939.A new building of the Mission was inaugurated by Swami Ranganathananda .
Jainism in Mauritius is a small but respected community, mainly of Gujarati origin who came for trade. Though few, they follow non-violence, vegetarianism and compassion. They contribute to business and charity, and celebrate Mahavir Jayanti while living peacefully within Mauritius’s multicultural society.
A statue of Lord Mahavir is featured within the multi-faith shrine complex at Ganga Talao (Grand Bassin), a sacred crater lake in the southwest interior of the island.
Ram Lila and Mahabharata in Mauritius
Ram Lila and Mahabharata performances are among the most visible expressions of Indian cultural life in Mauritius, and they have been kept alive for over 150 years. Every year in the month of September and October leading up to Divali, villages across the island stage Ram Lila. It is not a professional theatre production but a community event. Members of the village, often descendants of indentured labourers from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh, take on the roles of Ram, Sita, Lakshman, Hanuman and Ravan. The story of the Ramayana is enacted over ten nights in open fields, with simple sets, devotional singing and Bhojpuri narration. On the tenth night, the burning of Ravan’s effigy draws thousands of spectators and is followed by Divali celebrations in homes.
The Mahabharata also has a strong presence, though it is performed differently. Instead of full theatrical enactments, the Mahabharata is retold through geet gawai, bhajan mandalis, discourses by Pandits, and school competitions. Villages with a large Bhojpuri population host week long Katha where chapters of the Mahabharata are sung and explained. In Tamil and Telugu communities, episodes from the Mahabharata are performed during temple festivals with music and dance.
Both epics serve the same purpose in Mauritius. They are tools for moral teaching, language preservation and community bonding. Children learn Bhojpuri and Hindi by participating, elders pass on values of dharma and duty, and the whole village comes together regardless of caste or political affiliation. Because of this, Ram Lila and Mahabharata Katha are not seen as imports from India, but as Mauritian traditions that were brought by ancestors and made local.
Important Persons of Indian Origin
In politics, Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam is regarded as the Father of the Nation. He was the first Prime Minister from 1968 to 1982 and his ancestors came from Buxar in Bihar. Sir Anerood Jugnauth served as Prime Minister from 1982 to 1995, from 2000 to 2003 and from 2014 to 2017. He was from Uttar Pradesh. Navin Ramgoolam served as Prime Minister from 1995 to 2000 and from 2005 to 2014. Pravind Jugnauth served as Prime Minister from 2017 to 2024. Prithvirajsing Roopun served as President from 2019 to 2024.
In culture, Khal Torabully is a poet and theorist of coolitude. Abhimanyu Unnuth is a writer and Jnanpith Award recipient. Linzy Bacbotte is a singer in the seggae genre. Ananda Devi is a renowned writer from Mauritius. There are many more well- known writers and painters of Indian ancestry in Mauritius . Moorthy Nagalingum has been a well known name in art fraternity of the world.
In business, Gujarati and Muslim merchant families built the textile and banking sectors. From 1967 to 1976 Sir Abdool Razack Mohamed , a Gujrati Mulim , served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Security.
Indians have dominated Mauritian politics since 1968.
Bollywood Effect
Bollywood is central to life in Mauritius.
The first Indian films arrived in the 1940s. By the 1970s every village had a cinema. Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna and Madhuri Dixit were extremely popular.
The impact has been wide. Hindi was declining but Bollywood revived it. Children now speak Hindi because of films. Mauritian artists copy Bollywood tunes and geet gawai uses Hindi film melodies. Fashion trends for sari, lehenga and jewellery come from Mumbai. Indian tourists visit because Mauritius feels like India but cleaner.
Doordarshan and Zee TV are on every cable package. When a Bollywood star visits, the airport becomes extremely busy.
Bollywood has kept Mauritius connected to India even when travel was expensive.
Arya Samaj in Mauritius
Arya Samaj arrived in 1901 with Pandit Beni Maharaj from Uttar Pradesh.
It had a large impact because it used Bhojpuri and rejected caste and complex rituals.
Arya Samaj built schools that taught Hindi and the Vedas. It promoted social reform by opposing dowry and child marriage and supporting widow remarriage. It carried out shuddhi or reconversion to Hinduism. It promoted simpler worship through havan instead of elaborate murti puja.
Today approximately 20 percent of Mauritian Hindus are Arya Samaji. They run DAV schools, colleges and radio stations.
Political leaders such as Sir Anerood Jugnauth came from an Arya Samaj background. The movement made Hinduism more rational, modern and political.
Tourism in Mauritius
Known as the “pearl of the Indian Ocean,” it has built its economy largely around tourism. The island attracts visitors for its white sandy beaches, turquoise lagoons, and coral reefs that are perfect for snorkelling and diving. Places like Grand Baie, Flic en Flac, and Le Morne Brabant are famous for water sports, sunset cruises, and luxury resorts. Beyond the coast, Mauritius offers green tea plantations, the Black River Gorges National Park, waterfalls, and volcanic landscapes for nature lovers.
Tourism here is not only about leisure. It creates jobs, supports local crafts, and brings foreign exchange. The government promotes eco-tourism and sustainable travel to protect the island’s environment.
Mauritius sells peace, beauty and hospitality. It is a place where people go to slow down, enjoy the sea, and experience a warm blend of cultures in one small paradise.
Further Immigration from Mauritius
Alongside the story of Indians arriving in Mauritius, there has also been significant onward migration of Mauritians leaving the island from the 1970s onwards. As education improved and opportunities in finance, IT, medicine and higher studies expanded, many Mauritians of Indian origin sought careers abroad. The main destinations have been the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Australia, South Africa and Réunion.
In the UK, cities like London, Leicester and Manchester have sizable Mauritian communities who went as students in the 1960s and 70s and stayed to work in the NHS, teaching and civil service. In France, particularly in Paris, Marseille and Réunion, Mauritians benefit from French language and historical ties, and many work in hospitality, public service and business. Canada and Australia attracted skilled Mauritian professionals through points based migration from the 1980s, especially engineers, accountants and IT workers.
This diaspora maintains strong links back home. They send remittances, invest in property, and return for festivals like Divali and Maha Shivaratree. Many second and third generation Mauritians abroad now run cultural associations, Bhojpuri music groups and temples that keep Mauritian Hindu and Muslim traditions alive overseas. So while Mauritius was built by Indian immigration, it has itself become a source country, exporting talent and culture to the wider world while keeping the bond with the island intact.
Feeling for India
How do Mauritians of Indian origin feel about India.
The common phrase is that India is Mother, not simply the homeland.
There are several reasons. Most people can name the village in Bihar or Tamil Nadu where their great grandfather came from. Culture such as Bollywood, cricket, yoga and Divali all come from India. Politically, India has provided aid, scholarships and defence support. In 2005 India gifted a Dornier aircraft. In 2021 India provided 100,000 COVID vaccines. Many people also go on pilgrimage to Kashi, Tirupati and Vaishno Devi each year.
However Mauritians consider themselves Mauritian first. They do not wish to return to India to live. They want India to recognise them as a distinct Indian civilisation. In 2015 Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Mauritius mini India and granted Overseas Citizenship of India cards.
When India wins the Cricket World Cup, Port Louis celebrates. When Mauritius wins, India celebrates.The relationship is less je an umbilical cord, not ownership.
Conclusion
From 36 people on the Atlas in 1834 to 847,000 people in 2024. From sugar coolies to Prime Ministers. From Aapravasi Ghat to Ganga Talao.
Indians in Mauritius did not only survive. They built the country. They took Bhojpuri and made it Mauritian. They took sugar cane and built an economy. They took a small island and made it a bridge between Africa and Asia.
Mauritius shows that migration does not have to mean erasure. It can mean multiplication. Indian plus African plus French plus Chinese equals Mauritian.
In that mix, the Indian part is the largest voice.
